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Ask A Chef: Best Spooky Halloween Treats

Shopping & Style Flea Market, Jewelry
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Halloween is a great time to use your imagination, whether you are creating a spectacular costume or planning a fun and spooky party. With a little creativity, you can turn your favorite party foods into spooky Halloween treats that your guests will enjoy. These spooky treat ideas, courtesy of Chef Kate Cunning, are quick and easy and will leave you plenty of time for socializing.

Kate Cunning
East Coast Wine Geeks Podcast
www.eastcoastwinegeeks.com.com

Kate Cunning is an independent chef who lends her food-pairing expertise to the East Coast Wine Geeks Podcast. She is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh. She enjoys using her cooking talents to teach others and especially enjoys researching and recreating dishes from the 18th century.

Yummy Mummies

  • 1 can refrigerated pizza or Italian bread dough for every 3 pepperoni rolls
  • 1 pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 lb pepperoni
  • 1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
  • 1 jar sliced black or green olives

Directions:

  1. Roll the dough out and divide into 6 small sections.
  2. Place pepperoni, cheese and a little sauce on 3 of the sections.
  3. Cover with the other 3 sections and pinch sides together to seal and shape into an oblong shape.
  4. With a small knife, slice and spread open a horizontal section near the top for the mummy's eyes.
  5. Slice horizontal sections into the "body," when the pepperoni roll bakes, the cheese and sauce will show through to make the dough look like bandages.
  6. Put 2 olive slices on top for eyes; the mummy will have black eyes or green eyes depending on which olives you prefer.
  7. Place mummies about 2" apart on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake according to dough directions (generally at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes).
Shopping & Style Flea Market, Jewelry
Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com

Meatball Monsters

  • 2.5-lb bag of frozen small meatballs
  • 2 jars of your favorite tomato sauce
  • 1 pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 dozen small Italian sandwich rolls
  • 1 jar large green olives with pimentos
  • toothpicks

Directions:

  1. Cook meatballs with sauce in a slow cooker or oven according to directions.
  2. Slice sandwich rolls about half way through.
  3. Stuff 2 meatballs, cheese and sauce into the roll.
  4. Put 2 olives on the top of the sandwich using toothpicks for "eyes."

Related: Best Neighborhoods for Trick-Or-Treating in Pittsburgh

Witch's Fingers

  • 1 pkg refrigerated sugar cookie dough
  • green and red food coloring
  • 1 small bag of almond slivers
  • 1 pkg of red gel icing
  • food handling gloves

Directions:

  1. Add a few drops of green food coloring to the sugar cookie dough and work through (it is a good idea to wear gloves to keep your hands from staining).
  2. Roll out the cookie dough about 1/2" thick and cut into finger shapes (you can use a butter knife to trace around your own finger).
  3. Using a butter knife, create the lines usually found on fingers for a more realistic look.
  4. Place cookies 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
  5. While cookies are baking, toss almond slivers in a small amount of red food coloring (again, it is a good idea to wear gloves).
  6. When cookies have cooled, place an almond sliver on the tip of each one for a "finger nail."
  7. Add some trails or drops of "blood" with the gel icing for an additional spooky effect.

Related: Best Pumpkin Treats In Pittsburgh

Jennifer Stockdale is a native of the greater Pittsburgh, PA area. She is a restaurant marketer and wine enthusiast and one of the hosts of the East Coast Wine Geeks Podcast. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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